Join the weekly Classic Castle set review discussion. Please post your opinions on the set play ability, piece selection, design, etc. Which sets stand up to our catapult of critique and which ones crumble in shame!

This week’s set is 6085 Black Monarch’s Castle.

Black Monarch’s Castle, released in 1988, was the first LEGO castle with black walls. It has a main gate tower, drawbridge, portcullis, two archer towers, and a jail. Four knights on horseback, four archers, four soldiers, and various accessories are included.

Last edited by architect on Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Awesome set,one that I always wanted,but could never get.You know why?I was born later! It's really annoying.

Anyway,straying back to the topic,this castle is a must have if you can get a hold of it.Plenty of soldiers,and accessories. Come to think of it,it was also the last large castle to be on a flat baseplate,which is really cool.

Last edited by xxbattosaixx on Sat Jul 24, 2004 6:56 pm, edited 3 times in total.

One of the best LEGO Castles. I am amazed by the amount of triangular shields in this set. Huge amount of figs, and two really nice bardings. Would have been better if knights had Euro Armor, and if it was all grey.

Kind of a black version of 6080. A little more ornate - nice set of figs with two bardings for the horses. I'd love to see something like this in one of the sand colors. Even if you prefer gray to black, this one just blows away the two latest KK1 & 2 castles.

I do like the amount of figs, and the four mounted figures gives you a nice mix - but I've always viewed the grilled helm as a lesser design and the lack of armor is a bit disappointing. But these are minor in relation to the overall quality of one of the better castles.

I always wanted this set when I was younger, but I never had enough money and I asked my parents to buy me Victory Lap Raceway for Christmas that year instead.

Silly me.

Anyway, lots of great figs, 2 horse bardings, flat baseplate castle. Good stuff all around. Might lack a bit in playability due to no opposing faction present, but that is only a draw back if it's the only castle set you own.

One of the best castles TLC ever produced. The large amount of figs, the four knights on horse, two bardings, excellent inverse slope pieces and it is on a flat baseplate. Armor wuld have been nice, but aside from that a great overall set. 9/10 then, 20/10 now. It is far superior to any large set we have seen in the last 8 or 9 years.

Will

After a long absence, I have returned. I can't wait to start building again.

The amount of figures in this set is astronomical. I dare you to find a set with this many figures after the last real castle lines died out in the mid-nineties. I can find no complaint with this set.

I notice that in the good old days, TLC would cram their sets to the brim with extra pieces and accessories that were unneccecary to the set and cost the company more but gave the sets that great quality that they had back then. Nowadays they try to escape with the barest amount of figures and accessories, which explains why the new castles are all built on those raised baseplates, open on one end, empty inside, and crewed with the bare minimum of sparsly equipted miserable soldiers you ever did see. TWELVE soldiers, FOUR horses, rare bardings, and enough weapons, armor, and pennants to outfit a small army is simply unheard of, not even mentioning the castle. I'm sorry this set was before my time, because my army is mostly made from KK knights, converted explorers, and the occasional Royal Knight or Black Falcon. 1,000/10

Sitting in a midnight glade
Firelight dancing off burnished blade
A Forestman sits
Wondering about the next day
But after three mugs of ale
Let it bring what it may.

Another week of torment, reminded of the way things used to be and, dare I say, COULD still be.....

Fantastic set, a realistic, defendable fortress. The number of figs.... Just think, you young ones, if you could go to the store and buy 4 of these right now...48 minifigs that all look like armoured soldiers/knights, 16 horses, 8 cool bardings...

9/10 then, compared to today, even better as has already been pointed out.

I still remember getting this for christmas, putting it together for the first time, feeding on my younger brother's envying looks from across the table, thinking that I could NEVER tire of playing with this amazing castle.

Which I of course eventually did, but that nonwithstanding - this is a work of art. The mix of black and grey really works for me, the back towers are excellent, the walkways on the walls really cool, etc etc. I might have liked it even more if it wasn't so completely symmetrical, but still, this is beautiful. And as previously stated, 12 minifigs.. divine!